IRS 2010 Q3: Top 10 magazines continue to decline in total readership

Three magazines -- Pratiyogita Darpan, India Today (English) and Malayala Manorama (Weekly) -- in the top 10 magazines list show gains in average issue readership.

The latest quarter of IRS continues to spell bad news for the magazine sector in the country. Pratiyogita Darpan is the only magazine in the top 10 list to register growth in total readership (TR) in IRS 2010 Q3. The Hindi-language monthly magazine is also one of the three publications that have recorded an increase in the average issue readership (AIR) figures in this quarter.

Kumudam, which had replaced Saras Salil in IRS 2010 Q1, continues to enjoy the No. 1 position in total readership. The Tamil weekly has recorded a TR of 55.52 lakh in the latest quarter, showing a decrease of 3.18 lakh readers. In terms of AIR, the magazine is at No. 7 with 11.67 lakh readers, a loss of 1.06 lakh readers since the last quarter.

According to both AIR and TR figures, Saras Salil is at No. 2 with a readership of 20.07 lakh and 54.95 lakh, respectively. The Hindi magazine, as per TR, has lost 11,000 readers since the time it was first displaced from its numero uno position in IRS 2010 Q1. The fortnightly has also registered a decline of 2.02 lakh in AIR in the last three quarters.

Vanitha, which was pushed down to No. 4 in the last quarter by India Today English, has returned to its No. 3 position. It has recorded a total readership of 51.92 lakh. Despite climbing one step, the fortnightly has lost 65,000 readers since the last quarter. However, according to AIR figures, the Malayalam magazine is at No. 1, with a readership of 27.24 lakh in the latest quarter -- a marginal decline of 27,000 readers since 2010 Q2.

India Today English, which was at No. 3 in 2010 Q2, has slipped back to No. 4. The weekly has recorded a loss of 1.85 lakh in TR since the last quarter and 3.87 lakh in the last three quarters. As per AIR figures too, the publication is at No. 4 and has registered a marginal growth of 9,000 readers in this quarter.

The No. 5 position is taken up by the Tamil weekly, Kungumam, with a total readership of 45.82 lakh in the latest quarter. However, the magazine has lost 7.18 readers in the last three quarters. The weekly doesn't feature in the top 10 magazines as per AIR.

India Today Hindi edition is sitting firmly at No. 6, with a total readership of 44.45 lakh. The weekly has lost 1.77 lakh readers in this quarter and 4.06 lakh readers in the last three quarters. The magazine, which is also at No. 6 according to AIR figures, has lost 88,000 readers since the last quarter.

The only magazine to have registered an increase in total readership, Pratiyogita Darpan is comfortably sitting at No. 7 since IRS 2010 Q2. The Hindi magazine has a total readership of 44.37 lakh, an increase of 1.19 lakh readers since the last quarter. Pratiyogita Darpan is also the biggest gainer as per AIR. The monthly has recorded a growth of 1.64 lakh readers in the last three quarters. According to AIR figures, the No. 7 spot is taken up by Kumudam, the Tamil weekly.

Grih Shobha, which had slipped to No. 9 in IRS 2010 Q2 from No. 7 in IRS 2010 Q1, is slowly climbing up the ladder. It is at No. 8 this time, with a total readership of 40.56 lakh -- a decline of 1.85 lakh readers since the last quarter and 5.25 lakh readers in the last three quarters. The Hindi publication has registered a slight decline of 30,000 readers in AIR, but has gained one spot. It has moved from No. 10 to No. 9 in this quarter.

Ananda Vikatan, which had climbed two steps in the last quarter, has slipped down by one spot and according to the latest quarter of IRS, is at No.9. The Tamil weekly has a total readership of 40.49 lakh, registering a decline of 1.99 lakh readers since the last quarter. The weekly does not feature in the top 10 magazines as per AIR.

At No. 10 is Meri Saheli, which has lost 4.24 lakh readers in the last three rounds. It has registered a total readership of 39.85 lakh in the latest quarter. The Hindi publication is at No. 8 as per AIR, having lost 1.09 lakh readers in this quarter. Cricket Samrat, with 10.85 lakh readers is at No. 10, according to AIR figures.